The Guest (2014)

Directed by Adam Wingard (You're Next)
Written by Simon Barett (You're Next)
Starring:
Dan Stevens (A Walk Among the Tombstones)
Maika Monroe (It Follows)
Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End)
Joel Moore (Bones)

A small film employing a relatively unknown but talented cast that, to the average viewer, will fail to convey the subtle undercurrent of sarcasm is easily overlooked. To those ready to accept a dark silliness, this film is a treat.

Following You're Next with this, director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barett have now proven to be worthy of higher expectations. Low key casting coupled with off beat music and unhinged violence, all lathered in a sarcastic ooze make for an enjoyable throwback thriller.

Dan Stevens has star written all over him. He's a charismatic, British version of Josh Lucas. A likable (and British) version of Josh Duhmmel. In The Guest, his American accent is polished and his acting is highly controlled and completely absurd. Glad to see Chase Williamson on the screen after his fantastic work in John Dies in the End.

Maika Monroe, too, holds her own as a girl who is more than a damsel in distress. She may soon find her way to larger projects.

Slickly shot, playfully acted, but slower in pacing it matches You're Next's tone but with a slight hint of otherness. The only thing missing was a broader context. It only teased the grand nature of the situation, which would be fine were it a more flavorful offering. Take John Wick, for example, where it constantly has you immersed in the otherness, and embraces it. The Guest, conversely, shies away from the greatness that was in it's reach. It had the pieces but couldn't quite commit to the right ones.

That said, the action was beautifully shot, the stunts and violence were magnificently choreographed. Stevens showcased a knack for the physicality of being an action star by owning his short bursts of utter mayhem with precise brutality.

This is a film for a particular viewer. If you want anti-hero subversion, and self-aware seriousness, this is a movie for you.